Asus has quietly begun global sales of its updated 2026 ROG Strix Scar 18 gaming laptop. The company is positioning this new model as a significant upgrade over its 2025 predecessor by pushing power limits higher. This shift aims to deliver better frame rates in demanding titles through increased thermal headroom.
Updated gaming laptop features 200 W CPU and 320 W power delivery
The machine features an 18-inch Mini LED display that supports 4K resolution and a 240 Hz refresh rate. It reaches 1,600 nits of peak brightness in HDR mode and includes ROG Nebula ELMB technology for improved motion clarity. Buyers can choose between an Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus processor or Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 graphics cards.
Spec comparison
| Spec | RTX 5080 Model | RTX 5090 Model |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 18-inch 4K 240 Hz Mini LED | 18-inch 4K 240 Hz Mini LED |
| GPU | Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 | Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 |
| RAM | 32 GB | 64 GB LPDDR5X |
| Storage | 1 TB SSD | 2 TB SSD |
| US Price | $4,299 | N/A |
Asus equips the laptop with a power adapter that supports up to 320 W of simultaneous draw from the CPU and GPU. The Intel processor can draw up to 200 W, while the Nvidia GPUs remain capped at 175 W each. This configuration allows the system to handle heavy workloads without throttling performance.
The RTX 5080 variant comes with 32 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD for $4,299 in the US. The higher-end RTX 5090 model includes 64 GB of LPDDR5X RAM, 24 GB of VRAM, and a 2 TB SSD. This specific configuration costs £5,299 in the UK, which translates to around $7,083.
Pricing varies by region, with the base RTX 5080 model available for €4,499 in the Eurozone. Comparable RTX 5080 configurations retail for £4,199 in the UK market. These prices reflect the premium for the latest hardware components and high-performance display technology.
Source: NotebookCheck
